Wedded Bliss?
by obsidians
Summary: Naraku binds Kagome to him in a way that she never thought he would
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Inuyasha ff ever; I hope you don't hate it. Obsidian

I know that I will probably get one million things wrong, please feel free to correct me.

******

The battle had been brutal and I had suffered much damage, so much so that I could no longer travel by air as I normally do and would have to travel back to my castle over land, leaving me exposed and vulnerable to my enemies; of which I have many. The ragtag group led by the Miko and Inuyasha were slain at my feet. I stood victorious but damaged amidst the bodies of the Monk, the Demon Slayer, Inuyasha, the Miko and the Kitsune.

I was about to leave the battlefield when the Miko who I thought was dead moaned and grabbed my hamaka, I was about to kick her hand away for daring to touch my clothing when for some reason I felt compelled to take her with me. So I picked her up bridal style and began carrying her to the nearest village. I was passing a shrine when an idea occurred to me that would allow me to bind her to me in order to make her help me find the shards and provide me with a disguise. I knocked on the door and was greeted by the highly drunken shrine priest. He invited me inside for sake and allowed me to set my burden down; he looked curiously at her strange attire. "She wore that to escape her abusive father, he beat her badly when he learned that she is carrying my child" I explained. By this time the Miko had started to regain consciousness, but barely. "We need your help, I wish to marry her right away so that the child will appear to have been conceived on our wedding night" I explained.

He looked rather dubious "I would have to speak to her father about this before I perform the ceremony. She isn't even awake" he replied.

I pulled out my money pouch. "Surely we can come to some kind of arrangement" I said as I started counting out coins into his now empty sake cup.

"There are rituals that must be prepared, it can't be rushed!" he protested.

I added another coin to the growing pile and said "then I suggest you begin preparing them; my bride and I are starting towards home in ten minutes and those are coming with us" I said pointing to the cup full of coins. "I am sure that there are other shrines along the way where the priest might be more accommodating."

He narrowed his eyes at me "what is your name?"

"My name is Naraku. Do we have a deal?" I asked in a silky voice.

Greed won out and within half an hour I was wed to the barely conscious priestess, I led her through the ceremony and helped her sign her name to the scroll. Then I carried her in to village posing as a married man with a young wife who had been attacked by bandits. I must have seemed very convincing in my anguished role because they provided us with a hut to recuperate in with a single futon just big enough for the two of us. I set her down on the futon and the first thing I did was rip off her strange garments, caring nothing for her modesty. She whimpered and tried to fight me "I am not going to rape you; I just have to tend to your wounds" I said impatiently. Then an idea occurred to me and I assumed the form of Inuyasha, it doesn't take a lot of energy to assume other forms and I had assumed his before. That seemed to calm her and she passed out again.

I requested healing herbs, bandages, food and clothing from the village women giving them a coin for their trouble. They provided me with all they could, only too happy to help out a young couple in distress.

In a dispassionate way as I was tending to her wounds, (none of which were life threatening; lots of shallow cuts and a few broken bones that should heal in a few days with her purity magic) I noticed that her body was pleasing to me. She had a slim frame with long legs and slim but full hips, large breasts topped with red nipples and a well trimmed pubic triangle. This I was glad about this because I was going to have to complete the last part of the disguise and take her virginity, which I noticed as still intact as I dressed her wounds. I could smell it on her. I loathed having to do so, I hate anything that makes me human, sex being the most base of them all. However I had to as I could not have a virgin wife; half of a disguise is no disguise at all.

She slept most of the day and when she did awake she saw me as the puppy that she was in love with "Inuyasha?" she said weakly.

"Yes, I am here" I said in his voice trying not to nash my teeth at the sappy tone. I was loathing having to take care of her; I never had to take care of anyone besides myself in my life and certainly was not enjoying it now.

She stirred as if to stand up, then frowned, lifted up the blanket and blushed. "Where are my clothes? Where are we?" she asked in a panicked tone of voice.

"Your clothes were ruined and had to be removed to bind your wounds and we are in a village near the battleground" I explained.

She seemed to go even redder with this statement "who removed my clothes?"

"A local woman while I waited outside" I lied and handed her the simple kimono that I had obtained for her and even turned my back while she got into it. I told her what happened to her friends and she cried in my arms.

For the next couple of days as we healed, I lived two lives: to the people outside our hut I was the most devoted of husbands that nursed my wife by myself and attended to her every need. I had come up with the plausible story that I was a noble man's son who fell in love with a Geisha's daughter and married her in secret. I would allow no one else near her in case they should question her about my story. To Kagome I was her friend Inuyasha the sentimental hanyou. I slept beside her every night stating that there was only one bed, she blushed and at first became indignant, but in the end conceded.

In a few days her wounds were completely healed and knew that it was only a matter of time before she would insist on leaving our hut. So I did as I had planned and went to bed that night as usual. I had to act fast and was getting sick of pretending to be a devoted husband and loving friend.

Rather then just staying on my side of the futon and drifting off as usual; I leaned over and kissed her. She seemed surprised at first then softly kissed me back. I almost chuckled when she relaxed into my kiss, and then squealed as I pulled her tightly against me. I assaulted her senses by softly kissing her neck and jaw line before capturing her lips in a deeper kiss. She was so into the feeling of my kissing her that she didn't notice her sleep yukata easing open until my hand found her breast and started toying with her nipple. She made an eeping sound and turned bright red; I took advantage of this and plunged my tongue into her mouth exploring her velvety depths. By this time her yukata was open fully revealing her breasts and her sash was untied. She pulled away from me but didn't make me stop stroking her breasts, before she could protest I leaned down and captured one of her sensitive buds in my mouth rolling my tongue against it while I used my fingers to toy with the other one. She moaned and arched her back to me. It was all that I could do not to just simply rip the rest of the yukata off her and take her. "Inuyasha?" she questioned in a slightly shaking tone of voice.

I smiled and moved my hand downwards seeking and finding her bud of pleasure "shhhhhh let me make you feel good" I said in a silky voice and then followed the path of my hand until I reached the apex of her sex. I parted her damp folds and replaced my finger with my tongue, she caught her breath as I lapped the sweet nectar that her body distilled for me, surprising myself by enjoying the taste of her. I thrust my tongue into the mouth her of her still-innocent sex wanting to taste her maidenhood before it was gone forever. Lightly teasing the thin barrier that nature formed to keep her chaste, I slipped my finger inside her causing it to stretch, while I took her clit in my mouth and titillated it lovingly. Her moans were getting louder and louder as she neared her climax, I slipped another finger inside her finding her other internal pleasure center and agitated that as well, that sent her over the edge and she coated my tongue with more of her essence. I lapped up every sweet drop and then moved myself so that I was positioned at her entrance.

She looked up at me with fear in her eyes "I love you Inuyasha" she whispered and reached up and cupped my face, drawing my lips down to hers. I smirked before whispering for her to wrap her arms and legs around me. 'So close' I thought to myself and rocked my hips forward, testing her hymen, liking the way that she moaned and then shoved myself sharply forward feeling it tear around me and kissing her at the same time; I caught her scream in my mouth. I lay still allowing her to adjust to the feeling of me inside her. I had never had gentle sex before, but knew she would suspect I wasn't who she thought I was if I rutted her with demonic speed as I have in the past until I obtain my release. I was tempted to reveal who just had taken her virginity right then and there but wanted to drive her to her release again and have one of my own first.

I began to gently move in and out of her until she started breath heavily and move with me, I smirked when I felt this and began to pick up more speed, encouraging her to meet me thrust for thrust. Her breath was coming in pants and I could feel her tightening on me in preparation for her orgasm "that's it, enjoy it my love" I whispered in what I hoped sounded like a loving tone of voice as I nipped her ear lobe lightly. That sent her over the edge and hers triggered mine. I grunted as I felt my seed splattering against her walls. I collapsed on her panting as if I had been running and then leaned down and kissed her nipples again.

******

I lay on my back spent from making love with Inuyasha. I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling and wondering how this would change thing between us while I idly played with his thick, soft hair. I held up a strand, and then I noticed, it was the wrong colour. It was black! I felt my body go tense in horror; I could feel him (whoever it was) lengthening inside me again from his gentle ministration to my nipples.

Then he raised his head until I was staring into his crimson eyes and smirked at me, he rocked his hips forward as if in salute to me. He seemed amused.

"Naraku" I whispered through numb lips and then screamed and scrabbled away from him. The room filled with his laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

"Naraku, what the hell do you think you are doing?" I shouted. I clutched my yukata around me as tight as it would go. Trying not to stare, as he remained completely naked on the bed as if modesty was a foreign concept to him.

"Enjoying my wedding night, you seemed to be enjoying it too," he said with a leer. I blushed several shades of red at the same time at what he implied.

"You tricked me, I thought you were Inuyasha!" I screamed and then my brain processed what he said, "what do you mean wedding night?" I demanded.

He stood up, moved in front of me and held a out a scroll. I opened it and was shocked to see my signature on what appeared to be an ancient marriage certificate. "We were married right after the battle by a shrine priest; you are my wife" he explained.

"I don't even remember that, it that even legal?" I challenged.

"It is legal alright and according to the laws of Japan, I own you _wife_" he said still annoyingly naked. I could not help but look him over noting he really was gorgeous even though I didn't want to. He had broad shoulders and a sculpted hairless chest with sharply defined pecs and abs, tapering to a slim waist then long legs. His arms were muscular and his skin was pale, his ink black wavy hair fell like liquid silk to his waist and although his eyes were crimson, they suited his almost femininely beautiful face. He looked like a cruel angel. I realized that I was looking at his manhood and averted my eyes and blushed. "Is my body pleasing to you?" he asked with a smirk. "You certainly seemed to have enjoyed it a few minutes ago with all that moaning I heard, not to mention how hard I made you cum" he said and looking me over in a solicitous manner. I shivered and turned even redder.

"I didn't know it was you!" I shrieked. "I thought you were Inuyasha" I said struggling not to think about how making love to this creature had felt. "I can't be your wife, I don't even like you," I said coldly. "Would you put some clothes on!" I ordered trying to keep my eyes on his face.

He chuckled and drew on a yukata similar to mine, it was a simple hand woven one; it was weird for me to see him out of his damnable dark silk clothing and wearing gray. "You don't have to like me to be married to me. You signed the document willingly, though for some reason you wanted to sign the groom part as Mickey Mouse," he said.

That brought forth an involuntary laugh from me; he looked questioningly at me to see what was so funny "why did you marry me?" I asked.

"Well now that legally you are mine, you are going to help me find the shards and I needed a disguise in order to walk home. What better then a respectably married man" he explained.

"Why don't you just fly home on your poison cloud thingy?" I asked him, wondering why I was being so calm about the whole thing.

He sighed, an odd sound coming from someone who hates human gestures so much. "I can't, my body got damaged to the point that I can't access most of my powers so I shall have to hike home like a commoner. It will probably be weeks before I can summon my 'poison cloud thingy' as you call it" he said reluctantly, seemly ashamed to admit weakness to me.

"What makes you think that I will help you find the shards?" I asked.

"Would you prefer that I kill you? Because that is your alternative," he said in a causal tone.

"What is to prevent me for sneaking away while you sleep?" I inquired.

"1. You have no male to protect you. Do you know what happens to attractive unguarded females? There are far worse men then me in Japan. 2. You have no money for food or shelter. 3. If you tried to escape then I would alert the men of the village who would track you down and bring you back to me, then I would be expected to beat you for disobedience. Does that sound good to you?" he asked staring directly into my eyes. I gulped at the last part.

"You had no right to have sex with me" I challenged.

"Actually, I have every right to have sex with you whenever I want" he replied and moved closer to me, I moved back.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled at him.

"You certainly weren't saying that earlier. I was expecting you to say no and I would have stopped, but you were practically begging for it," he taunted.

I blushed "you tricked me, I thought you were the man that I loved," I said feeling tears start to prick my eyes but refused to give him the satisfaction.

"If that insolent puppy had slept with you as he should have, you wouldn't have been a virgin and my deception wouldn't have been necessary. Haven't you two been together for three years now? How it is even possible that you remained untouched in all that time? You obviously desired him; tonight certainly proved that" he said with a smirk.

"That is none of your business!" I shrieked.

"Kikyo" he said with satisfaction. "So he desired the clay pot more then you?"

I felt a wave of pain when he said her name "don't speak of her" I said in a hot voice. "Inuyasha is going to kick your ass when he finds out that you tricked me into sleeping with you!"

I was surprised when a look of almost pity crossed his face and he said softly "he is not going to be kicking anything. He died along with your friends in battle" I collapsed when my legs gave out and started sobbing, I was surprised when Naraku scooped me up and sat me on his lap, sitting on the futon. I buried my head in his shoulder and started sobbing, not caring who was holding me as long as someone was.

******

I guess that I was so used to taking care of her that my body reacted on its own and I found her on my lap holding tightly to me 'how the gods did that happen?' I wondered. Had I ever offered comfort to anyone in my life? I didn't think so; it was not like anyone had ever sought it from me. I was not sure what to do so I let her cry it out and then pushed her back from my damp shoulder and let her off my lap.

"Thank you" she said stiffly.

"Your welcome" I replied and patted the futon beneath me. "You should get some sleep," I suggested.

She looked warily at the space beside me as if it was covered with poisonious snakes. "How do I know that you aren't going to try have sex with me again?" she asked suspiciously.

"Don't flatter yourself. Once was all that was necessary to take your virginity. I do not enjoy sex and don't feel the need to repeat it again. Unless you would like me to, in that case I would be happy to assuage your sexual desire for me" I said leering at her and was rewarded with a blush. Actually, I have really enjoyed having sex with her and wouldn't have minded a repeat performance, but was hardly going to admit that to her. It was the most enjoyable sex I had ever experienced,

"Don't flatter yourself either. The only reason that you had sex with me was to break my hymen!" she snarled.

"I don't know what a hymen is, but if it is your maidenhead, then yes. I can't have a virgin wife; now can I? It looks bad" I replied.

"It is not like anyone looks there," she pointed out.

"The village women have wanted to examine you to see if the reason for your fatigue might be that you are pregnant" I said looking at her closely, I was amused when she blushed at the implication. "Come to bed, wife and get some sleep" I ordered. "I promise to keep my lecherous hands to myself"

I was not sure why she did it, but she stiffly walked to her side of the futon and lay down beside me. I slid the blanket over top of both of us. She seemed to fall asleep right away.

She surprised me by rolling in her sleep, spooning against my back and throwing her arm over my waist. I stiffened when she did this, not understanding why she would want to cling to me like this. Again a first, someone holding onto my person in her sleep; something that I had never experienced before, but then I normally sleep alone. It had been hard enough for me to admit that I enjoyed the feeling of her warm body next to mine as I slept, but this was intolerable! 'I must get home soon' I mused.

******

I awoke the next day feeling warm and toasty, I tightened my arm around Inuyasha and nuzzled my face into the back of his neck and sighed.

"Must you do that Miko?" asked Naraku stiffly.

I blushed and quickly pulled away from him "sorry, I didn't know that it was you" I replied.

He turned over regarding me curiously "you have been clinging to me all night" he stated in a tight voice and looked down. He looked almost endearing with his hair rumpled from sleep.

I followed his gaze and blushed at how my yukata had worked itself open during the night and I was displaying quite the amount of cleavage. I quickly pulled it closed.

"I have seen more then that; there is no reason to be shy around me. I have already seen everything you have to offer when I sponge bathed you. Then there was the sex last night" he added with a wicked gleam in his crimson eyes.

"You did that!" I shrieked.

"I refuse to share a bed with someone who stinks" he replied. "Speaking of which, we should both visit the village bathing house. I suspect you shall want to get properly clean after last night" he said looking pointedly at me. I blushed at that.

"Why did no one come when I screamed last night" I wondered aloud.

"I told them that we are newly married, which is true. They probably just thought you were screaming in passion" he explained and began gathering up bathing supplies.

I blushed again, thinking of the knowing looks we were likely to receive from the villagers.

"Here, you will need these" he said handing me a pair of balsa wood combs.

"For what?" I asked confused.

"To bound your hair up," he replied.

"It is only a short trip, I can just wear it down" I replied with a shrug.

I was surprised when he looked scandalized, as if I had suggested we walk there naked. "You are a married woman, you cannot wear your hair down. You also must walk behind me at all times and keep your eyes on the ground. Never look at other men too boldly or I shall have to challenge them," he lectured.

I was stunned, here I was getting a lecture on morals from the most evil man in Japan! I started laughing.

"What is so funny?" He said sharply.

"Since when you are concerned about my behaviour?" I demanded.

"Since we married, you my wife and can not be an embarassment to me. I don't care how you act when we are alone together, but I expect you to act like it in public. Understand?" he demanded back.

"Fine" I said and started trying to twist my hair up, but couldn't get the combs to work and it kept falling down. With a growl of frustration, he turned me around and secured it in place in mere seconds. I guess dealing with his own long hair had made him an expert.

"You just have to pull them out when you wash your hair and then ask one of the women to help you put it back up. You can brush it when you get back here" he explained and then went outside so that I could put on my kimono.

I winced a bit when I went to join him "you hurting inside?" he asked me.

"None of your business" I retorted keeping a blush from my cheek.

"You will be a little sore for a few days, but should be healed by then" he said helpfully, I glared at him, deciding that I preferred when he made jokes about our having had sex directly then trying to help.

"I don't wish to discuss this" I said striding forward.

"Get behind me and keep your eyes on the ground. Do you understand?" he hissed and thrust me behind him.

"Oh I understand alright, the man I love is dead, I am in hell and married to Satan" I hissed back, but went into the demure young wife routine, vowing to kill him the first chance I got.

"Who is Satan?" he asked confused.

"Just a powerful demon unlike yourself" I retorted in a low tone of voice earning a death glare.

After we bathed we returned to the hut and I combed out my hair and then laughed when Naraku was struggling to comb his own.

"I don't normally comb my own hair, I have servants for that," he said indignantly.

I plucked the comb from him and carefully combed it down his broad back until it lay tangle free in silken strands

"You have nice hair for an evil bastard" I commented.

"Thank you," he said stiffly as if annoyed that he needed my help, probably not knowing what an evil bastard was. I idly touched the spider shaped scar on his back and was surprised when he jumped.

"Do not touch me there" he said sharply.

I blew a raspberry, "yeesh vain much? Well, _husband_, when are we leaving to go to Dracula's castle," I asked.

He looked at me not knowing who Dracula was then said, "we will go out your old campsite and retrieve your supplies and I shall grab my hidden armour. Then we shall find the nearest market and buy supplies for the journey. We shall leave in a few days" he replied.

"So what happens when we get to your place?" I asked.

"You will have your own room and your own servants" he replied.

"So I wouldn't be expected to sleep with you then?" I stated.

He looked at me like I was crazy "I sleep alone and certainly would not want to you there"

I felt a little offended by how empathic he was about the sleep arrangements "Sounds good to me; you snore anyway" I snarled and angrily went to start lunch. 'Did he blush just now when I said he snored?' I mused as I stirred the rice and made a point of keeping my back to him.


	3. Chapter 3

I whipped a pebble at Naraku, or Keitaro as he is calling himself while we are walking back to his castle of doom as I call it personally. I nailed him in the back of the head. He froze then slowly turned around. "Why are you throwing things are me woman?" he demanded.

"I am bored, can't I walk beside you so that we can talk? We haven't passed anyone for miles," I said giving him my most adorable expression. He didn't look convinced.

"It would appear unseemly if someone should see us" he replied and strode forward at a pace I couldn't possibly keep up with.

"Baka" I yelled after him and stuck my tongue out at his retreating figure . I swore that I heard him chuckling. He was dressed as a farmer and had a sugegasa pulled low over his face to hide his distinctive eyes and his hair was braided down his back. In my simple kimono, with my backpack on I looked the part of his wife with no problem. I had helped him pick his disguise, I was kind of worried that he wouldn't be able to pass with him being so tall but with so many demons around, he didn't really stick out that much.

"I am tired, can't we take a break?" I yelled at him and threw another rock at him, effectively beaning him again. He paused and turned, irritation showing in his expressive eyes. "You will cease this behaviour right now woman!" he demanded.

"Or what? You'll spank me," I yelled back.

He closed the distance between us and grabbed my arm, spun me around and landed a hard smack on my backside with his huge claw tipped hand "Ow, that hurts!" I yelped and then I smacked him on his own butt, hurting my hand on his firm buttocks more then the buttocks themselves I suspected.

He stood there stunned then said in a slow voice "you did_ not_ just smack my bottom?" as if questioning me. So I did it again.

"Stop that" he commanded grabbing my hands and holding them so that I wasn't able to do it again.

"You started it, cross dresser" I shouted.

"Why are you calling me a cross dresser?" he inquired easily holding my hands still.

"Well, you have to admit that you look kind of girly in all the silky clothes that you normally wear" I pointed out.

"They are male clothes; it is not like I wear a pink kimono or something," he said, I started laughing picturing that.

"Yes well your so-called male clothes don't exactly scream manly man, you wear too much silk," I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "you doubt I am male?" I shivered remembering how large his member appeared to be. Even I could tell that he was hugely endowed and I had no comparison. 'Figures that the first guy I sleep with would be porn star material' I thought.

"No there is denying that," I said noting he suddenly looked smug.

"Then I don't have to remind you?" he said with a smirk. I shook my head. "I like fine clothing and what is more luxurious then silk? I like how it feels on my body" he explained then motioned for me to sit down on a large rock by the road. I did and pulled off my geta and rubbed my feet through my tabi socks. I almost groaned out loud.

"How far is it to your place?" I asked.

"About ten more days journey" he said causally handing me some water.

I groaned "are you sure you can't summon your poison cloud thingy"

He shrugged "even if I could, I couldn't take you with me on it; you would die"

"You wouldn't need me as a cover, I would have just stayed in the village back there until I found someone to travel back to Inuyasha's village so that I could go home" I replied.

"I don't think you understand, if I had not intervened you would have perished," he pointed out.

"Why? You said that none of my wounds were life threatening. Someone would have helped me and I would be home by now," I said glaring at him. "Don't you think for one second that I am going to thank you for any help that you have given me" I snarled.

"Would you two like a ride?" asked an elderly farmer with an ox cart that was strolling by.

Naraku looked distastefully at the hay covered ox cart and opened his mouth like he was about to say something nasty. So I did the first thing I could think of and leaned over and kissed him on the lips. His eyes went wide with shock and he froze at my forced intimacy. I then turned to the farmer and said, "sure we would love one. Wouldn't we honey?" I asked of the still stunned Naraku. "I am Kagome and this is my husband Keitaro" I said to the farmer and I put my geta back on. I took Naraku's hand and towed him to the back of the cart, forced him to sit and sat down beside him. "Are you comfortable darling?" I asked in a bright sappy tone of voice ignoring the death glare that I was receiving. "Thank you so much" I called to the farmer who seemed to be blushing from witnessing our kiss.

"You must be newlyweds," he said with a friendly smile.

"It just seems like yesterday," I said with a giggle giving Naraku a loving look that seemed to make him visibly squirm. I squeezed his hand that I still held on to then raised it to my lips and kissed the back of it, his eyes narrowed at my sappy display.

"Why are you talking to me like this?" he whispered to me.

"I am talking to you how I would my husband, if you are going to be that you had better get used to being called pet names, like sweetie, honey and darling. At least in public" I whispered back. He grunted at the idea. I idly studied his legs and thought that he had the sort of long legs and rounded butt that looked great in a pair fitted black jeans. I wondered if I picked him up a pair when I got back to the future, if he would model them for me. Then I blushed that I was thinking about him this way. It was Naraku! Not my lover or even my friend. He was my enemy.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked noticing my red face.

"It is a hot day," I explained quickly.

He didn't look convinced but went with it.

The kindly farmer dropped us just outside of his village and we found a cave to stay in over night.

Naraku started a fire and made dinner, one of the things that I appreciated about him was that he didn't demand that I make all the meals, either he did or I did. He started life as a thief so naturally he could cook, they weren't the best meals in the world, but they weren't too bad either. I pulled out a cup of ramen and put the kettle on. I started to tear up when I remember how much Inuyasha loved them.

"Thinking about him again?" my companion observed. He seemed to be getting used to my crying for no reason, not that he was comfortable with it. He had suffered the worst one yet when I went to my old campsite and saw my friend's belongings. I sobbed the most when I saw Shippou's toy. I had practically wrapped myself around him as I sobbed, he held me in a grudging fashion as if wanting to be far, far away from my emotional outbursts.

"He loved these," I said, sobbing into the chicken flavoured noodles.

"He may have loved them; but he never loved you. He loved Kikyo and anyone could see that, even me" Naraku said, his tone wasn't cruel, but matter-of-fact.

I slapped him as hard as I could, grabbed my sleeping bag and said, "Fuck you Naraka, I am sleeping outside."

******

I felt a stab of anger when she slapped me and almost slapped her back, but I restrained myself. I couldn't understand why she got so angry. I was just trying to help her see what was so obvious to everyone but her. We all knew that Inuyasha was sleeping with Kikyo.

I put some food in a bowl and set it on the ground before her, she ignored me but ate after I went back into the cave. I didn't bother apologizing, that was beneath me. Let her sleep in the outdoors while I slept comfortably warm beside the fire. Being weary after a long day I soon lay on my pallet. A few hours later I was awoken by a crash of thunder and a hysterical female who seemed intent on getting inside my very skin.

I pondered as to why I had the Miko shivering against me and lifted the blanket to see two frightened eyes peering up at me. "Are you trying to get inside my clothing? If you wanted me so badly, you only need ask" I said softly trying not to frighten her further.

"You asshole, as if I want someone as dark and twisted as you! I bet you think that you are so handsome and all" she snarled and thrust back the blanket to crawl away from me. Then the thunder crashed and she attempted to crawl inside me again.

"You are afraid of thunder and lighting?" I asked amused. "I have seen you take on demons twice as tall as me without flinching and you are afraid of thunder and lighting" I said in an ironic tone of voice.

"Everyone has a fear," she snarled and then eeped and thrashed against me when the thunder boomed

"So you think I am handsome?" I said trying to distract her.

"You're kind of cute," she admitted. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked in a little girl's voice.

"As if I have any say in the matter" I said and pulled her against me so that her head was cushioned on my shoulder and her arm and leg wrapped around me. I put my arms around her and idly thought that if anyone were to see us, they would think were were lovers rather then enemies. She sighed at the feel of my dark embrace. She shivered and kept clutching me closer when the thunder boomed until she finally gave into her exhaustion. For the second time in my life, I fell asleep in the unfamiliar tangle of sweet smelling female limbs.


	4. Chapter 4

Still continuing this story. CH fans who followed me over to the dark side; aw that it so sweet. Just so you know a hanyou is a half demon and a youkai is a full demon. Obsidian

Thank you for the reviews from everyone else who is enjoying my tale. I wanted to do something different with these two rather then total lovey dovey (that might come later) or rape scenerio.

******

We have been traveling companions for about four days now. Every night we ate food we prepared together and slept in each other's arms. Neither of us questions why we do this, we just nestle together in our rented room or on our pallet after a weary day spent on the road. I didn't mean to, but I had come to care for the twisted hanyou that is Naraku. He is really quite charming in his dark sort of way. Every morning and every evening I comb out his hair reveling in the feeling of his silken locks slipping through my fingers. He has since learned to comb it himself, but it was a task that I enjoy doing and he doesn't seem to mind, in fact he seems to find the process soothing. We are neither friends, nor lovers nor even enemies anymore. Merely companions in a strange marriage of convenience.

"So why don't you like sex?" I questioned him as I teased a snarl from his wet hair. He was sitting on the futon in our room at the inn that we had rented that evening. He paused and looked over his bare shoulder at me, he only had on his hamaka.

"Why are you feeling wanton and need me to satisfy you?" he asked causally and smirked when I blushed.

"It is a just a question, don't have to answer it if you don't want" I replied hotly. I was suddenly aware of how intimate our setting was with me clad only in my white hiyoku and him wearing not much more. When did I become so causal with this man? "It just seems to me that you enjoy giving and receiving sexual pleasure. So why are you celibate?"

He frowned and said, "I don't much care for human weakness, like emotions and stuff like that. Sex is the worse of them. Not everyone thinks that all the problems of the world can be fixed with a hug" he said looking pointedly over his shoulder at me again.

"There is nothing wrong with enjoying being touched, it is natural to want to feel that someone cares about you and to express it to them physically" I said.

"I don't need such molly coddling," he said. Feeling rather evil (his fault), I lightly stroked the sensitive place on his back that I had discovered quite by accident, eliciting a moan from him. Now it was his turn to blush. He glared at me.

"You look so cute when you do that" I said in a sappy voice that I knew would irritate him.

"I am not cute!" he protested, he gets dimples when he frowns, making him look even cuter.

"Whatever you say cutie" I replied and couldn't resist smiling at his looking so grumpy. "So you hate being touched do you?" I asked touching the same place and getting a shiver this time.

"Cut that out woman!" he barked at me.

"You want me to stop combing?" I threatened. He gave me a sharp look but shut up. I tried not to laugh as he sighed as I drew the comb through his hair. For someone that claims he doesn't care to be touched, he sure seems to like it. On impulse I kissed his shoulder. He froze when I did and then turned to me.

"Miko, you forget yourself. We are not friends, do not be so familiar with my person ever again," he said in a cold voice. "You are merely a woman I fucked, no different then any of the other whores I have had in my life and more forgettable then most"

******

I watched as an expression of pure pain crossed her face, dissolving our early intimacy and she stood up stiffly. "Not a problem, _Lord Naraku_, I shall never again attempt to think of you as a person who is capable of being friendly for a second. Fuck you you cold hearted bastard" she snarled and drew her kimono over her hiyoku and quickly tied her obi. I suddenly felt bad about lashing out at her.

"Miko where are you going?" I asked confused.

"Downstairs for a drink, I think I certainly deserve one" she spat refusing to look at me.

I grabbed her arm "you cannot go to a bar by yourself. You are a married woman; married women do not drink alone in bars," I said.

She looked up at me with loathing in her eyes "I am a whore remember? Whores drink whenever they please" she replied, I could see that she looked close to tears and wondered why my opinion of her meant so much to her.

"I will not allow you to go," I said crossing my arms and glaring at her.

"Fine if you are so fucking worried about your precious reputation then come with me, because if you try to stop me I will purify you to hell" she said and held up a glowing pink hand.

"You will cease this behaviour now" I shouted.

"You can suck my dick" she said and pushed past me.

I blew out a gush of air and then grabbed my katana, put on my hoari in record time and followed her. I found her downstairs arguing with the bartender who didn't want to serve her. "I am her husband; you may serve her" I said grudgingly to him when he looked at me questioningly as I hovered over her slight form. She looked at me and her eyes filled with triumph. "Two sakes" she proclaimed and he reluctantly served them to us. I was handed them and she seize one, I watched in horror as she tossed it back like water.

"It is perfectly normal for women to drink like men where I am from" she said with a challenge in her voice.

"I haven't ever seen you drink," I said with exasperation.

"There is always a first time; you seem to know all about a woman's first time" she said glared at me then ordered another sake, tossing it back like the first.

"Go easy on that stuff" I said sharply.

"You are not the boss of me!" she hissed at me.

"Actually, legally I am; don't force me to beat you" I hissed back at her wondering why men actually get married if it wasn't for a purpose such as mine. Who would actively wish to saddle them self with a female for life!

"I will purify your cute ass to hell before I let you" she said and threw back the second one that she had ordered for me, I was still nursing my first one all too aware of the male attention she was receiving. She is irritatingly attractive.

"Why do you hate me?" she asked.

"I don't, in fact I rather enjoy your company," I admitted surprising myself as well as her.

"Could have fooled me," she said slinging back another sake that one of her admirers had bought for her. I glared at him a challenge in my gaze; I was pleased when he averted his eyes.

"Why didn't you let me die with him? At least I would have had that," she said with a sob. She was starting to slur her words.

I looked into her blue eyes "is that a noble death to you? To simply die beside someone who you had a childish crush on so that Kikyo can't have him? Sounds stupid to me," I replied sourly.

"What the hell do you know about love?" she snarled.

"Nothing, and I am quite proud of that fact," I said taking a sip of my sake.

"I pity you, that you will never know how good it feels to see a certain smile that someone reserves only for you, that you will never hear someone saying that they love you and want you, that you shall never experience and know the difference between someone making love to you and someone fucking you" she said actually looking at me with pity.

"So what is the difference?" I asked curiously.

"The difference is a squirt in the dark between strangers and a communion of souls," she explained.

"And you know this from the one time you had sex?" I asked dubiously.

"I will recognize making love when I do it with someone I love and who loves me back" she replied indignantly.

I tried not to scoff at her illusions "sex is sex; it all feels the same whether fast or slow" I replied. "Sorry about implying that you were a whore earlier; I am definitely the one person in the world who knows differently."

She started laughing, "You, _Naraku, _are apologizing to someone?! That calls for a drink" I gnashed my teeth when she was suddenly surrounded by men offering her sake.

"All of your lofty ideas about love. Did you get any of that from Inuyasha? I should think not my little _virgin_ Miko" I said.

If looks could kill, I would have been dead right then. She was suddenly right in my face "you can go to hell, Naraku. For all intents and purposes you raped me and you know it" she hissed lowly at me so that no one would hear. Throughout this entire conversation neither one of us were speaking above a whisper.

"Where else do you think someone like me is going to go?" I shot back. "I think that you have had enough to drink and that we should return to our room" I said with a warning in my voice.

She smirked in a way that seemed oddly like myself, stood up and started singing what I recognized as a lullaby. I was frozen in shock at this public display along with all other men present (of course she had to be the only woman there) then they all started singing along. She began to flit drunkenly here and there singing and dancing. I sighed and downed the last of my sake. I slid some coins to the bartender, not that he was paying attention; he was too busy being entertained. Predictably within a few seconds I heard her order someone to let her go. I turned and saw that some sort of large demon had a hold of her arm and was towing her towards him. I crossed the room within seconds and had my katana at his throat. "Let her go" I said in a silky voice with a deadly edge to it.

He looked me over, misjudging my appearance in my home spun clothing and seemed to think I wasn't a threat. "Your woman can leave after she gives me a nice kiss," he said and brought his face towards Kagome's, she shrank away and her eyes seem to plead with mine.

"My wife won't be kissing you or anyone here tonight. So you are to release her now or else I shall paint the walls red with your blood" I said and darted forward, making a shallow cut across his throat. He gasped and released her, she ran to me and I pushed her behind me.

He laughed when he saw that his hand came away red from his neck "I suggest that you control your woman. If she is going to act like a whore she is going to be treated like one"

I started forward in anger "you will apologize right now, she is only having a few drinks in celebration" on inspiration I pulled her forward knowing how to diffuse the situation without further bloodshed. I placed my hand on her belly and said "She just told me today that I am going to be a father." She blushed as red as a beet and opened her mouth in protest, I silenced her with a look and accepted the congratulations from her ex-admirers. She seemed to get redder and redder with each crude comment and accepted the demons apology. "Come wife, let us continue our celebration upstairs, " I said giving her a solicitous look; I was thoroughly enjoying her look of discomfort. To add to it I scooped her up bridal style and carried her from the room eliciting many rude comments and knowing laughs. I carried her right into our room, set her down on the futon and snarled "don't you ever do that again" in a dangerous tone of voice. Then I realized that she had started to weep.

She stood up and screamed at me "you took everything from me, my friends, my first kiss, my virginity, the man I loved, even my marital state. I hate you"

"Keep it down, of course you hate me, I wouldn't expect otherwise" I replied and just to show how annoyed I was I got undressed slowly as if for her pleasure and put on my sleep yukata right in front of her. She blushed red and averted her eyes. "I am decent now. You get a good enough look? I have been told that this body is pleasing" I taunted her as I flipping my hair over my shoulders. I walked over to her and pulled her combs out so that her own raven locks trumbled down her back. She seemed to blush again at the intimacy.

"It is not like I ever had anything against you personally, you were in the way just like they were" I said softly, ignoring the tears leaking from her eyes, I was getting sick of drying them. I caught her hand as she tried to smack me, then she turned into a wildcat trying to scratch me. I calmly held her hands away from me until she stopped struggling.

"I am sure that plenty of men find your body attractive" she sneered.

"I am not gay" I replied calmly.

"Then how do you explain the blue eyeshadow?"

"The what?" I asked confused.

"The blue stuff you wear on your eyelids, cross dresser"

"You have been with me for over a week. Have you seen me put anything on my eyelids? They are my demon marks are much as Sesshomaru's maroon stripes are his" I explained.

"Wow, did you get gyped" she said stunned.

"I wasn't asking you your opinion of them woman" I yelled. "I should beat you for your display down there you know"

"I hope you die," she snarled then she did something that shocked me, she grabbed me tight and started kissing me in a demanding way. Something inside me snapped and I kissed her back like a starving man at a banquet. "Fuck me" she demanded in a slurry voice.

This caused me to pull away "I don't think we should do this while you are drunk, I don't wish you to say that I took advantage of you" I said shocking myself by being noble for once in my life.

"So I can be your whore but you won't be mine?" she taunted.

"Come to bed, you need some sleep" was my only answer. She pulled out her odd bed roll, put it on the floor and lay down on it.

What are you doing?" I asked.

"You told me that you don't want me touching you, so I would never want to contaminate your precious flesh with my unclean body" She said.

"Fine sleep on the floor then for all I care" I said and turned away from her feeling confused about why this was bothering me. I tossed and turned for hours not used to sleeping alone anymore, hating myself for it. 'How is it going to be when I get home to my own bed' I had to question. I wondered if I would have to order Kagura to sleep beside me; I would never hear the end of it from her. I couldn't ask Kanna, that would be too weird with her little girl body. I heard Kagome groan in her sleep and asked her what was wrong.

"I'm sore from lying here, the floor is so hard" she moaned. I laughed and opened her bag as she had showed me how and lifted her up.

"Where are you taking me?" she said in a groggy voice.

I answered by placing her on the futon and drawing against me, she sighed at the sensation of my body warmth and softness of the futon and fell asleep in seconds. It was only a few minutes before I joined her in slumber myself reveling in the softness of her skin and her familiar scent.


	5. Chapter 5

I couldn't help laughing when I woke up to a hungover Kagome, she glared at me and told me to stop my insane giggling; it was making her head hurt.

"I guess that you will be in great shape to walk then?" I asked. I pointedly explaining how it seemed like a nice, bright sunny day just as she enjoyed them. She was already as white as rice paper and I swear she went even whiter when I did this; she moaned and pulled the covers over her head. Given that this placed her head on my right pec, I made it jump by flexing my muscles and earned a nasty glare from her. "I wonder how many miles we can cover today?" I asked in a chipper tone of voice.

******

I don't know which was worse, my hangover or a happy-go-lucky Naraku, he was really enjoying himself and there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. It was weird; it was like he was a normal guy and not the Prince of Darkness. When did he grow a normal sense of humour? I wondered and nipped his neck. He reacted to that by tickling my side. This caused me to squeal. "Stop picking on me, you are mean" I moaned.

He shrugged, "of course I am. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Do we have to get out of bed?" I moaned draping myself across him trying to look as pathetic as possible.

"Well, I suppose we could take the day off of walking and just stay here for another night" he suggested.

"Really? But I thought you were anxious to get home" I said in a happier tone.

"We both deserve a break; I hate walking. I may be an evil bastard as you say but I am not a tyrant" he said. Noticing my sharp look, he rolled his eyes and said "most of the time I am not a tyrant" he corrected himself.

I got up and fished some Tylenol out of my bag and drank with the tea and innkeeper's wife had brought with breakfast.

"What are those?" he asked eyeing the small white capsules

"Pain killers, they are good for muscles aches and headaches. I bring them from where I live" I replied. "You need some too?" I asked. He yawned and stretched causing his yukata to get tight, a nice distraction that caused me to stare.

"You really do like the way I look" he observed with a grin noticing my interest. He deliberately sent me a smoldering look that made him look way too sexy.

I could feel my face turn red "well considering you parade around in next to nothing, it is hard not to look at you. Why not just walk around naked?" I said in a grouchy voice.

"Would you like me to walk around naked?" he asked giving me the same look.

"Don't bother, I have seen far too much of you already" I replied and headed downstairs to use the outhouse. You could have lit a match off my face by that time.

"Do you no longer desire me? he asked with a (I kid you not) pout. "You seemed quite insistent on having me last night." he called after me; his laughter followed me all the way to the outhouse; I sat in it wishing him to the lowest depth of hell just above child molesters and baby killers.

******

I was still chuckling when she returned and began gathering together our bathing accessories. She whipped a cloth at me and yelled "baka"

"It is hardly my fault that you desire my manly body" I said putting my hands on my hips which caused the muscles in my chest to stand out.

She took one look at me and threw my hoari at me this time, "put some clothes on" she commanded.

I eyed the light grey fabric with distaste "if you wish to consider these garments clothes"

"Better then that stupid white baboon costume you wear" she observed.

"I happen to like my white pelt" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, definitely a manly man, between the eyeshadow, the cross dressing and the white monkey suit; who could resist you? Come on stud muffin, I need a bath" she complained towing me from the room.

"I certainly seemed to be manly enough to satisfy you" I said brushing my fingers lightly against her neck.

"You just never stop do you?" she said, even the back of her neck was red from blushing.

"Nope" I answered.

When we got back, we got ready for our day "Where to?" she asked combing out her dark hair after she had just finished with mine.

"We should go to the market to pick up supplies" I replied.

"Sounds good" she replied.

We hit the hustle and bustle of the open market and even I had to be impressed by the merchandise available. She literally had to pull me away from the silk merchant. "You sleep on silk sheets don't you?" she asked.

"How did you know?"

"Just a guess" she said dryly.

She was leaning over and playing with a fluffy white kitten much to my disgust when I sensed someone watching us. I turned around to see a demon of some sort duck around the corner. I noticed that the shards in their small bottle around her neck had slipped out of her kimono, she still retained them as we had made a deal that I would receive them when she was safely on her way home.

I was just about to go investigate when the demon emerged in snake form and lunged at Kagome. I darted forward and pushed her out of the way so that his fangs would sink into my own flesh instead, I gasped as it felt like two heated daggers were being thrust into my chest. I knew that was the poison raging into my blood. 'Why did I do that' I asked myself, 'I am hardly the hero type', I had spent my life guarding my own flesh with little thought to anyone else's and now I did this willingly! Then the reason for my madness put her arms around me to pull me away from him. I tried to keep my features blank, I pushed her away from me, grabbed my kanata and stood in front of her.

He turned to her and said "give me the shardssssss or both of you die"

"Go to hell" she said and blasted him to oblivion with her purity. She turned to me when I gasped involuntarily as the venom hit me and I sank on the ground to my knees, my legs no longer about to support my weight, it felt like a giant fist was squeezing my body. My kanata clattered to the ground. "Naraku?" she asked in a worried tone of voice and touched my face, I recoiled from her as if she had stung me. I didn't want her to see my pain; it was too humiliating.

"Don't touch me" I commanded. I didn't want her to see my like this, she wouldn't see me like this I resolved and took out my money pouch. I pulled out just enough coins to get me home and put it in her hand "Burn the scroll, no one ever has to know we are married, take this and leave immediately. There is more enough here for you to hire you someone to get you back to Inuyasha's village and then home. You don't have to see me ever again. I managed to get out, repressing the pain as much as I could. My head felt heavy and I knew I was going to pass out soon.

"I am not leaving you in this condition" she exclaimed looking annoyed that I even suggested this.

"Kagome" I said softly, using her given name for the first time "just do as you are told; I will be fine in a couple of days." I said trying to reassure her. "Just go, I release you of any promises you made. Isn't that what you wanted; your freedom?"

"You aren't going to make me leave by trying to reasonable for once; I am staying with you until you heal and that is final" she said.

"Just go!" I yelled and then gave another involuntary gasp of pain as a fresh wave hit me; I completely lost my balance and fell onto my back.

She turned and looked at the crowd "you and you" she yelled to the largest males in the group. "Please help me get my husband to our room so that I can look after him" she commanded, she didn't say it in a demurely; her voice would have been more suited to an army general. My eyes went wide with shock to hear her refer to me as her husband in a non-facetious way. She leaned close to me and whispered "close your pretty red eyes darling, everyone knows Lord Naraku by his eye colour; you are now unconscious"

One took my legs and one took my arms and they lifted me up, someone whimpered; it was me. I felt like someone was carving me internally with dull knives bent on torturing me.

******

The insolence of this man, to think that I am just going to stroll into the sunset while he lay weak and helpless! Might as well just gift wrap himself for his enemies! Why did he take the venom into his own body? It is so out of character for the Naraku I know. I am a priestess goddamn it! Caring for the ill is my job. Does he think that I don't have eyes? I can't see that he is even paler then normal? That I can't recognize the burning fever that will soon set in? That I can't feel him trembling under my hands? So silly him trying to appear that none of this can happen to him because he won't accept his human side. Damn him and his fear of appearing weak in front of us lesser mortal!

We got back to the room and I barked orders at the innkeeper's wife, telling her what I would need.

An involuntary mewing sound escaped his lips when they set him none to gently on the futon. I thanked them for their help and firmly closed the door after them. Naraku opened his pain filled eyes and looked at me "Leave" he said, this time it was almost a plea.

"Then who is going to take care of you? Why do you have to be such a baka who goes around pissing off the world! How many enemies do you need? I am not leaving you here in this defenseless state; your body was already weak to begin with" I replied glaring at him.

"I don't need your pity" he said then lightly gasped as the pain washed over him again.

"No, you need my help and you are going to get it whether you want it or not" I replied and gently put my hand on his forehead, he batted it away.

"I don't need anyone's help," he snarled.

"You're burning up," I stated, placing my hand back on his forehead, he grudgingly allowed it there this time. There was a knock at the door and the inn keeper's wife brought the water and clean cloths that I asked for. She handed me a pair of scissors.

"For his hair" she explained. "It is just going to be like dead weight on his head if you don't cut it" Naraku eye's grew wide at this idea; I knew he was vain about his hair.

"That won't be necessary" I said and swiftly braided it into two braids giving him a Heidi from the Swiss Alps appearance , which didn't help his girly image but got it out of the way. He relaxed when he saw what I intended to do and thanked me. He was very stoic about the pain, which must have been intense, he barely uttered a sound when conscious but he couldn't repress the cries of anguish and tears of pain when in the grips of the fever. I felt so helpless that I couldn't give him any relief, each gasp plunged a dagger into my heart. However, I dared not purify him; I didn't know what that would do to the demons inside of him and didn't want to risk damaging him further.

I removed his clothes and just covered his groin with a cloth and bathed his heated limbs. I would find myself talking to him as I would my little brother when he was sick, and then make myself stop seeing how I knew that he would hate it. Some times I would hold his hand and talk to him. Some times he raved and it was often my name he said.

Finally in the early morning hours his fever broke.

******

The pain was relentless, it seemed to seek out every corner of me and turn my body into a torture chamber. I was in the grips of the fever and knew I was raving, when I surfaced it was only long enough to ask her, no beg her to leave me. Yet she wouldn't and to make things worse she was trying to soothe me. I don't need pity; I am Naraku. Yet a part of me craved her soft touches, her gentle caresses. "I'm cold, hold me," I begged without a shred of dignity left; the fever had won so had the pain. A warm body answered my plea by spooning against my back. I turned and latched onto the soft flesh, clinging to it like a lifeline and allowed myself to drift away from the pain. I surrendered myself to someone else's care for once in my life. As I sank into sweet oblivion soothed by their gentle touches on my cooling skin, someone whispered softly into my ear "just sleep, you're safe". I could feel familiar limbs encircling me, allowing me to burrow in even closer to that perfumed body; Kagome

******

I was shocked when he asked me to hold him. I hoped that he would never remember that in his darkest hour he actually reached out for comfort from someone; it would crush him. It was too human a response to suffering.

I was exhausted, so wiped away the last of his tears and the sweat from his body then blushing I removed my clothing entirely and climbed onto the futon beside him and pulled the blanket over top of us. I pulled him against my equally naked body, he made a sound that was half way between a moan and a gasp and settling his limbs around mine and went to sleep.

I blushed as he has cushioned his head on one of my naked breasts and had one arm draped around my waist while the other hand was settled on my hip. I tried to be disgusted to be naked in the arms of the most evil man in Japan and him in an equal state but found I couldn't. It felt natural to have his naked limbs intertwined with my own, I tenderly brushed some strands of his hair that had come loose from of his face and noted that his breathing was even. He was in a deep healing sleep that his body required. Then I put my own arms around him and fell asleep too.


	6. Chapter 6

Kags21-Sorry wish I could write dark. I could when I was an angsty 18 year old now, it is more like Disney with smut added. Hope you don't hate the results. Obsidian

Hi Amelia, good morning :)

******

I woke up later then usual and shifted against Naraku, enjoying his body warmth. For a girl that had always slept alone; I got used to cuddly sleeping awfully fast and loved it. Even if I had an odd bedfellow to share it with. I was cushioned on his broad chest with an arm and a leg wrapped around him as he lay on his back with his one hand cupping_ the side of my bare breast _and the other one against my back. I slowly became aware of the lack of clothing that we both seemed to be wearing. I blushed as red as possible, after all I was an eighteen year old girl officially waking naked with a man for the first time in my life. I questioned myself what to do and decided to get dressed and back into bed before he noticed my current nude state; I doubt that he remembered much about the night before. I extracted myself from his limbs as gently as possibly, trying not to wake him and padded softly as I could to retrieve my yukata which hung up on a hook across the room.

"Why are you naked?" I heard a voice asking me, causing me to drop my yukata and spin around. Realizing that Naraku's eyes were open and that I was standing fully naked in front of him, I attempted to cover myself with my arms while my blushes tried to conceal their parts.

"Don't look at me!" I shrieked.

He looked vaguely amused and averted his eyes then darted them back as I attempted to pick up my yukata. "Stop doing that!" I cried.

"Then tell me why you are naked," he said.

I wrapped the yukata around myself "you were cold last night, I wanted to warm you up and bare skin on bare skin is the best way for that" I replied.

******

"You slept with me naked because I was cold?" I couldn't wrap my head around the concept that this shy, modest young near-virgin would willingly undress and get into bed with me to warm me. Why? What could she possibly gain from the experience? "How did you know I was cold?" I asked her. Why did this idea make me happy?

She looked at me as if reluctant to tell me and replied, "you said you were." I lay back and groaned, trying to picture what else I said to her while in a feverish state. I had never so longed for my secret palace populated exclusively with creatures under my control…. with a room that I can lock against all of them. I felt someone touching me and opened my eyes to find Kagome's hand on my forehead.

"Are you still hurting?" she asked with some concern in her voice. Looking at the healing bite marks on my chest.

"Why are you touching me like that?" I asked confused. She snatched her hand away as if I had just burned her.

"I was just checking for fever, you were in a pretty bad state last night. How do you feel now?" she asked.

"I am fine" I said flinging back the covers and standing up, or trying to, my legs almost collapsed beneath me and I would have fallen if Kagome had not caught me. Which predictably ended up with her blushing to be suddenly holding a naked male in her arms (again), and then she efficiently lowered me back onto the futon.

"Looks like you are a little weak today; the fever must have taken a lot out of you" she said retrieving my yukata and handing it to me.

"I don't need your help!" I snarled; I was disgusted with myself not her.

"Everyone needs help sometimes, I had no problem asking you when I did" she pointed out.

"You didn't know it was me" I said calmly wanting to strike a nerve so that she would go far, far away from me so that I could forget last night ever happened. I turned away not wanting to see the pain in her eyes.

"I know" she said softly and turned to get her clothing lost in thought.

The innkeeper's wife brought up our breakfast and she suggested that we use her private bathhouse. "It is small, but that way you don't have to make Keitaro walk the entire way to the public ones.

Kagome bowed to her "that is most generous, I am certain that my husband shall enjoy his bath"

"Aren't you bathing together? It is private after all," she said.

I watched Kagome completely at a loss for words for once and leaned up from the futon and said, "Certainly, we normally bath together when at home. What couple doesn't?"

The innkeeper's wife smiled at me "yes, I do remember being young like yourselves" she said and left with a giggle.

"Are you insane?" exploded Kagome when she left. "I can't bathe with you; you're male"

"It will look funny if we don't," I pointed out

"I am not bathing naked then," she hissed.

"Suit yourself" I said but picked up one of the larger rags left over from the night before to wrap around my hips so as to not offend Ms. Prude.

******

I wrapped a towel around myself and noticed to my relief that Naraku wasn't completely nude, however when he dumped a bucket over himself and the flimsy white garment molded itself to his body, making him look like a sex god and exposing more then concealing. He might as well have been naked. He smirked when he noticed me staring at his butt. I turned my back on him and dumped my own bucket over myself and began shampooing my hair.

"What is that stuff you use on your hair?" he asked.

I held out the bottle of pert plus and asked "would you care to try it?" I showed him how to shampoo and rinse out his hair, then shared my soap with him.

Then we lay back in the hot springs, his muscles appeared stiff and he seemed a little dizzy from the night before. I could practically see him trying not to groan as he moved.

"Come here" I suggested indicating a submerged rock right in front of me. He seemed confused but sat before me, I brushed his hair forward over one of his shoulders and began kneading his sore muscles avoiding the spider shaped scar which I now know was a sensitive area of skin which hurt him if touched too roughly.

I started at his neck and slowly made my way down his back to his waist, feeling the knots and working them loose. He groaned aloud at my ministrations and seemed to get really into it, when I was done he actually leaned back against me with my arms draped around him

"Does that feel better?" I asked. My answer was a contented sigh, then he opened his eyes.

"Kagome, where are you from? You wear strange clothing and have all these strange objects in your possession." he asked looking up at me lazily.

"I am from here, but how it will be five hundred years in the future" I admitted.

"How would that even be possible?" he asked. Seeing there was no reason to keep this secret from him, I told him how I came to be here and all about the future and my family.

"So your family is alive?" he asked , I nodded at him.

"I thought you were an orphan," he said. I silently added the 'like me' to his statement myself. I knew about his tragic past, his entire village being slaughtered but him, when he was really young and him having to become a thief in order to survive.

"Hai, I miss them" I replied. I could feel a tear slipping down my cheek and was surprised when he wiped it away.

He turned in my arms "I will get you back to them soon" he promised.

Suddenly feeling like a line was about to be crossed, I stood up "we will turn into a pair of prunes if we stay here much longer" I said quickly.

I helped him back into our room and he sat down on the futon, I turned my back as he put his hamaka on, I picked up his comb and started pulled it through his wet locks

"Why did you stay?" he asked in a voice so soft that I barely heard him. He turned around and looked me in the eye.

"I care about you" I said honestly. He seemed confused by this until I crossed the line that was started in the bathhouse and leaned forward and kissed him, it was softly this time and he brought his arms up around me. It was the sweetest kiss that I ever received. I made love to him. I wanted to prove to him that he was desired, that he was wanted and that he was cared about. I offered my heart to someone who denied his own human heart. I wanted to remove the loneliness that I sensed was inside him. Was I in love with him then? I doubt it. It was me that pushed him gently back onto the futon, it was me that undid his hakama and removed them. I wanted him to know that this was my choice.

I had never given head before but I had seen a porn movie once with my friend and had heard it described so it wasn't too hard to figure out. I wrapped my hand around the length of him and sucked as much of him as I could into my mouth while working the rest with my hand. I seemed to have done something right with all the moans I received from him and the way he stroked my hair as I did it. I doubt he had ever experienced that before either.

When I impaled myself on him, I paused sharply at the tinge of pain, as I was so new to this. He put his hands on my hips and showed me how to move in a gentle way until the pleasure began to mount. We moved together slowly drawing out the pleasure as much as possible, wanting every second to count. His sighs were like music to my ears. We kissed like we were lovers long separated. When we came it was together, it was like the whole world exploded. He poured everything that he had to give into of me. I cried after I came, I cried for my loneliness, the loss of my first love, the loss of my friends, my missing my family, my sense of alienation from where I belonged and for the sad little lonely orphan that he had been until life had twisted him into his present form. He held me throughout without comment. I never knew that red eyes could hold such warmth or that someone who was supposed to be so evil could show such tenderness.

As I look back on that night, I wonder that if either one of us knew what would have resulted from our encounter. Would we have done it?

Flash Forward

We live in an upper class neighbourhood of Tokyo; I am checking on my daughter as she sleeps, she is five years old with dark hair and pale skin. I look down on her angelic face as she clutches her ragged old stuffed rabbit in her sleep. She is a typical little girl, loves Barbie dolls and wants to be either a princess of ballerina when she grows up. I softly brush her hair from her face, she opens her eyes and smiles sleepily at me, she had her father's eyes; they are crimson in colour.

End Flash Forward

(AN, no this is not the end, merely a tease. A tease Sid? Gosh golly would you really to be that mean to people? shuffles feet, yep! Na-na-na-nah)


	7. Chapter 7

I had Kagome writhing beneath me as I pleasured her; the sun beat down on my bare back and her murmurs of contentment mixed with the bird song around us.

I could feel her tight sheath gripping me as I thrust myself back inside her after pulling almost all the way out. She hissed and tightened herself around me, as if trying to milk me dry; now it was my turn to hiss. I am so close to release that I can practically taste it, but I grit my teeth against it determined to drive her over the edge another time first. This will make it a personal record of six times during our copulating together. One thrust, two thrusts......there, female bliss achieved; my turn. She breathed my name during each orgasm and clung to me tighter, while she pulsated around me, driving me closer and closer to my own until I could not longer hold back and released my seed deep into her, shuddering as I came. I gave her one final kiss before I pulled out of her.

"Great idea stopping to bathe in the river; that certainly was refreshing after walking all day long in the hot sun" I said with irony in my voice indicating the sweat that coated both of our bodies.

She giggled and sat up "so let's get back in the river and get cleaned up before we get on our way"

"We are never going to get back to my palace at this rate; you are insatiable" I said as I plucked a leaf from her sex tangled hair.

"Oh, who made me that way? Oh that's right, you, the man who hates sex" she said and stood up to wade into the river, I didn't hesitate for a second before I joined her.

"I certainly enjoy it with you" I replied and splashed her.

"So why are you so determined to become a youkai?" she asked suddenly.

"I seek power and immortality; I am not content with a mortal life time." I replied. "That is why I need the shards to complete the gem so that I can become a youkai rather then a hanyou" I replied. Why was it that everything that I had worked so hard to achieve seem so distant and irrelevant when I was with this woman? It was like I was another person when I was with her, one was Naraku, most powerful demon who ever lived and the other was Naraku, her husband who was driven only to attend to her needs. She was far too distracting to a demon overlord.

"But does any of it make you happy? It is not like being youkai makes Sesshomaru happy" she pointed out.

'Make me happy' I mused wondering what that had to do with anything. "Who can tell when he is happy or upset about anything? The guy is an icicle"

She laughed at this '"true he is gorgeous but emotionless"

I looked at her sharply "you lust Sesshomaru? It is just that you like dog demons or that he reminds you of Inuyash" I asked wondering why this bothered me.

Seeing my angry expression, she said "you're jealous"

"I am not! I don't have human emotions, might I remind you" I exclaimed. If she was another person I would have killed her for the insinuation, but I had grown fond of her.

"I knew it, the mighty and powerful Lord Naraku is just stringing me along for the sex" she said with a pout that caused me to laugh.

"I could accuse you of the same, my little Miko" I said "For someone who just accused me a few days ago of not wearing enough clothes; you seem determined to keep them _off _of me".

We got dressed and resumed our journey back to my home which was only about half a day's walk. Which I was glad about. Although I would never admit it, I was in a lot worse shape then I seemed, any powers that I did possess at this moment were like a fleeting memory, I was pretty much as human as the woman at my side and she had better defenses then me at the moment. I knew that I had lost weight with the constant exercise and was probably somewhat haggard in appearance. Then there was the driving need to satisfy my lust for Kagome, but that was something that I enjoyed doing. 'I just need to get out of the sun and get some proper rest' I thought to myself.

"You'll be in your own bed by the end of tonight" she said soothingly as if reading my mind.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" I asked warily.

"You get this far away look in your eye when you think about getting home. Are you feeling okay? You look kind of worn out" she asked with concern in her voice.

At her presumption my temper flared "Woman, do not think that you know me. We are not friends and to not delude yourself into believing that our fucking is anything more then it is. I don't even like you" I stated then strode on ahead. I expected any second to be hit with a rock on a tree branch or something, but instead I heard her footsteps retreating away from me.

"Where are you going?" I called after her, now I was the one struggling to keep up.

"I was taking your advice and leaving, sorry if that means my body has to come with me so you can't use it as a sex toy anymore. I wouldn't dream of inflicting my annoying presence on you for one second longer" she snarled.

"Miko come back here; you can't travel alone" I ordered, she flashed her middle finger at me in a gesture that I am sure means something rude in the future but was lost on me.

"Why should you care what happens to me?" she turned and glared at me. "After all I am some stupid human with stupid human emotions. I am not perfectly dead inside like you are, Lord Naraku" she said and started walking away.

"I said get back here woman" demanded as I spun her to face me, as I suspected my words had hurt her.

"Go away baka, I am going home where people actually care about me" she said with fire in her eyes.

"Who trespasses on this Sesshomaru's land?" asked Sesshomaru while holding his Tenseiga in a challenging manner towards me. He narrowed his eyes at me "Naraku!" he growled.

"Oh look Sesshomaru's here, now you can satisfy your lust for him. Go ahead and fuck him for all that I care!" I yelled at her completely ignoring the youkai lord, too intent on my anger for her.

She glared back at me "I have no lust for _that _Sesshomaru. Perhaps you do cross dresser!" She also was effectively ignoring him and Sesshomaru looked unsure about what to do; he started following our exchange by glancing from one to the other.

"I don't like men! So why would I want _this or that_ Sesshomaru? You're the one that thinks that he is sooooooo handsome! Apparently I am not good looking enough for you. I guess that black hair is nothing compared to pretty silver hair" I shouted. "You want to fuck him, go right ahead; he is right there" I said gesturing to the confused youkai.

"Fine, maybe I will . At least he dresses like a man!" she snarled into my face and gestured at Sesshomaru's typical all white clothing.

"Actually, this Sesshomaru desires neither of you" he volunteered.

"Do you mind Sesshomaru? We are having a private conversation" snarled Kagome.

"On this Sesshomaru's land" he pointed out.

"You call that dressing like a man? What is with all the white? Do you have to change every time you step out of doors?" I asked him, he opened his mouth then closed it and went back to listening to our conversation.

He looked at Kagome and then looked closer at her, narrowing his eyes at her "Are you not Inuyasha's wench?"

"She wishes" I said with a snort, earning a nasty glare from Kagome.

"Why do you stink like Naraku?" he asked sniffing her.

"I do not stink!" I protested, which made Kagome laugh.

"Have you now become Naraku's whore Miko?"

"You take that back, she is no one's whore and her name is Kagome; not wench and not Miko. How dare you insult my wife that way!" I shouted pulling my katana from its sheath then blushed at what I said out loud. Kagome and Sesshomaru could have been statues after I used the w word in reference to Kagome.

******

I watched in confusion as the Miko and Naraku were involved in what seemed to be some kind of lover's quarrel, but surely this Sesshomaru must be misjudging the situation. An evil hanyou and a pure priestess surely could not be involved that way. Could they be?"

Then he claimed that she was his wife. 'Am I hearing things?' I questioned myself "Miko why does Naraku think that you are his wife? I thought that you were a virgin priestess?" I asked her.

"She was one" Naraku said with a smirk causing the miko to hit him in the stomach.

"It's complicated" she said acknowledging me for the first time. "I guess technically I am" she said but explained no further.

"This is how you honour my brother's memory?" I asked with a distasteful wave at Naraku then found myself momentarily stunned as Naraku leapt to her defense again.

"If your ridiculous brother had bothered to notice how special she is then she wouldn't be hanging around with the likes of me" he snarled.

"You think I'm special?" she asked, causing him to blush.

"I did not say that woman" he said.

"You just did" she said with a smirk.

I turned to her and asked "would you like to seek asylum from him in my kingdom?"

******

My blood ran cold when he said this and I did not bother saying a thing, I just turned to go, I knew that what she wanted was to get away from me and to return home; Sesshomaru could help her achieve both goals.

"Where are you going?" she yelled after me.

"I am going home while you go to your new home with Sesshomaru." I replied not even bothering to look back. She grabbed my hoari and I turned around.

"I thought I was going home with you?" she said softly. I wondered why her eyes seemed to be swimming with tears.

"But why would you want to come with me?" I asked confused "He is single, he is good looking and he pretty much looks like Inyasha" I pointed out, which caused Sesshomaru to growl.

"Don't compare this Sesshomaru to that puppy!"

"I promised you I would help you find the rest of the jewel shards" she said.

I shook my head at her "not good enough, I am not going to force you to come with me when you would be better off with him" I replied.

"I want to go with you" she said softly "Besides Sesshomaru bores me to tears" she whispered in my ear.

I snickered and did my imitation of his voice and lack of expression. "Do you really want to come home with this Naraku?"

"More then anything" she said then stood on her toes and kissed me, I kissed her back watching Sesshomaru's reaction, he actually seemed shocked, whether it was that she was kissing me or that I was kissing anyone; no clue.

He ruined the moment by waving his Tenseiga at me "you dare mock this Sesshomaru!" suddenly a bolt of purity knocked it out of his hand.

"Sorry Lord Sesshomaru, he is not in any shape to fight you. Sorry we trespassed on your land; we are just passing through to get to his home and then we'll be gone. Okay?" she said with a bright smile. He looked at how she was glowing pink and then down at his Tenseiga.

"That sounds acceptable" he said still eyeing his Tenseiga.

******

After seeing the odd sight of Naraku being emotionally involved with anyone. I watched them leave and vaguely tried to place the other scent that I had smelled on the Miko, yes she did smell like him, but there was another faint trace of...... Then it hit me, the scent was how bitches normally smell when they are breeding. It was very faint, but it was there. However I doubted that Naraku had ever spent time with a pregnant female so he wouldn't recognize the smell. 'Good, that might keep him out of mischief' I thought. Now it was my turn to smirk.

I thought about telling him right away, but then decided it would be more fun for him to learn it from the Miko when she herself became aware of it.

With uncharacteristic friendly smile on my face I called after them "Congratulations Naraku" and gave them a happy wave. I wished to the gods that they would have many, many children together, loving the idea of Naraku and dirty diapers. I continued walking, I was in a cheerful mood now; not that anyone could tell.

******

"Shesshomaru smiling, that is weird' I thought with surprise.

"What was that about?" asked Kagome.

I shook my head and said "I have no idea"

We continued on our way, looking forward to the end of our long journey. I could not wait to get back to my huge western style bed with its soft cushion, silk sheets and her beside me.


	8. Chapter 8

I so happy when I saw my palace that I almost had an emotional moment. Kagura met us at the door looking none too please to see me; perhaps she thought that I was in hell where by all rights I should be. I doubt that she was able to sense me in my present state. She seemed surprised to see me in the company of Kagome.

"Welcome back Lord Naraku" she said managing to make it clear that I was not welcomed. She looked pointedly at Kagome. "I see you brought with you a hostage. Shall I transport her to the dungeon?" she asked causally which caused Kagome to shrink against me.

"She is now the lady of the house, you are to treat her with the respect that is due to her" I said sharply. "You may refer to her as Lady Kagome" I commanded. I don't know which looked more surprised the wind demon or the Miko.

"Where am I to sleep?" Kagome asked timidly.

I wasn't sure what to say; I had assumed that she would sleep with me. "Well, there are plenty of spare bedrooms, you may choose which one you like" I said hesitantly.

"Where do you sleep?"

"In the largest one naturally" I replied.

"Could I not just sleep with you then? Or would you rather that I find another room?" she asked.

I felt a stab of joy at this suggestion. 'What the gods was this girl doing to me' I questioned 'next I shall be picking flowers and composing poetry for her'. "That will be most suitable" I replied. "Kagura, please take our baggage to my room" I said eyeing the strange device that Kagome carried. Kagura seemed visibly offended at being ordered to perform so menial a task for me and our ex-enemy, but she picked them up and stalked ahead of us giving off an air of distain. I walked into my room and settled myself on the bed repressing a groan against sore tense muscles, I also repressed the urge to fling myself across it and wiggle happily among the soft sheets in a childish manner.

"Will there be anything else?" Kagura asked sarcastically.

"Yes," I replied ripping the disguise from my body "burn these rags and find some proper clothing for Lady Kagome"

"Yes Lord Naraku" she said smirking and went to do as I bid.

Kagome looked after her "I am told that she was generated from your body"

"Yes, she is kind of my second in command" I replied rubbing my face and wondering if I ever would get the road dust off of it.

"Do you two sleep together?" she asked suspiciously.

The question caught me so off guard that I collapsed in helpless laughter trying to picture the look on Kagura's face if I was to command her to do _that_. "No, our relationship is purely a business one. She doesn't particularly like me, you might have guessed" I assured her. "She, like most of my minions that I created would like to be far, far away and rid of me forever"

"So you live with half-alive creatures that hate you and would kill you if they could? Great household planning" she said sarcastically.

"A human staff might try to kill me just as fast" I pointed out.

Kagura returned "I have assembled a sparse wardrobe which will have to do until we can get clothing made for Lady Kagome, if you will follow me I will show you my selections" she left with Kagura, I moved to the chair before the table that I sometimes eat my meals at and sat down for fear that I would fall asleep. I wanted to bathe properly before retiring.

******

I returned to find Naraku asleep at a table with his head cushioned on his arms. He was loosely wrapped in a dark purple silk robe, he looked so endearing I couldn't resist kissing the top of his head. He woke and groaned as his muscles protested the position. "Why do I feel so weak?" he complained.

"You just survived being poisoned, if you had been human you would have been dead by now" I explained. I pulled him to his feet "come on, lets take a bath, then Kagura has ordered dinner"

"Then what?" he asked tiredly, he had dark circles under his eyes and he was too pale. I could just imagine how I looked.

"Then we are going to bed and sleeping for two days" I said. He allowed me to wash his hair and soap his back, I massaged him as we soaked in the hot springs and he almost fell asleep. "Come on zombie, let's get some food in you" I said leading the now squeaky clean him back to his room. It was slightly like leading a mental patient on lots of medication. I managed to get him to eat the simple meal and then shoved him into bed. He lay back with a contented sigh and I had to help wrestle the robe from him, and then sank wearily next to him. I lay on my side while he spooned against my back, I managed to give him a brief kiss and then both of us were dead to the world.

Kagura padded softly into the room and took in the domestic scene of the pair of lovers sleeping nestled contentedly against each other. She frowned; she was not pleased at all.

******

I woke up to lust filled red eyes staring at me. "Looks like someone feels better" I commented and plastered myself against his powerful frame. He answered by crushing his lips against mine and sliding a finger inside me as if it was a pale imitation of what he really had to offer for my pleasure. His fingers danced inside me teasing and probing, demanding moisture from my body and receiving it in abundance. My breath quickened and I moaned the name of my tormenter and begged for more. He smirked and plunged himself into my depths, I lashed my legs around him and dug my nails into his back as he rode me raw. I squealed at the delicious friction, it was perfect, just skating the edge between pleasure and pain. After a couple of thrusts I came like a rocket and demanded he kiss me. He did and then leaned back with a smirk "I want to see you cum again" he growled at me as he slammed his hips against mine driving me closer to point of no return. I could feel him get harder stretching me and then I came again and actually screamed for once in my life. He joined me a few seconds later, just slightly less vocal then myself.

He looked at me with amusement in his eyes "I think that the entire castle knows we are awake" he commented causing me to blush.

"So you think they heard us?" I whispered.

"I think China heard you" he responded. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked in an innocent tone of voice. I hit him with a pillow in answer.

"So what brought that on?" I asked in a post coital languid tone of voice while I played with his hair in a contented way.

"I thought we should celebrate getting home. Was I wrong in thinking you might enjoy it?" he asked, his face was positively devilish. Wonder why?

I looked at him sadly "Naraku, this isn't my home" I said gently.

"Would you consider here with me a second one?" he said suddenly serious.

"I can stay here for a while at least. I don't know what I am going to do, I was supposed to stay here with Inuyasha and take over as priestess when Keade dies. But now I don't know what to do" I said honestly.

"Well, I guess that you will just have to stay here until you can figure that out" he said reasonably.

I stretched and started playing with his fingers, "too bad you guys don't have wedding rings back in these times." I said somewhat wistfully.

"What are those?" he asked. "I am not familiar with that custom"

"It is a western custom, the bride and the groom exchange matching rings as visible proof that they are bonded when they marry.

"Bizarre custom. So it kind of works like demon mating marks?" he asked. He paused as if in thought and said in a silky voice "you would like it if wore one of those rings and you too?"

I blushed then realized that no one was going to know what it meant. "Yes" I said honestly.

******

From inside Naraku's room I can hear the unmistakable sound of his having sex and her joining in enthusiastically. 'I am going to have to do something about this' I thought to myself.

Two Months Later

I had just puked into the bowl I had started keeping beside the bed for mornings like this. I didn't take a genius to figure out what was wrong with me, but I just didn't know how to tell Naraku that he was going to be a daddy.

"You okay?" asked the clueless father to be as he handed me a glass of water.

"I'm fine" I lied "just a touch of stomach flu again" I said glad that they didn't have such things as sex ed or health class in feudal Japan, but with Naraku's rough background I doubt that he knew the truth anyway. So many times I opened my mouth to tell him, then remember his history of violence and chickened out.

"Are you sure? You seem to be sick a lot and you are gaining some weight. My little piggy Miko" he said. It was true my belly had started to swell already. I threw my arms around him and started sobbing.

******

"Kagome what's wrong?" I asked concerned as she cried into my shoulder. I knew that she was keeping something from me, I could tell from the wary look in her eye and how she paced the corridors of the castle late at night when she thought I was sleeping.

"Naraku, I......."she started then stopped. "I am just really miss my family I guess."

I narrowed my eyes at her; she wasn't telling me the truth. I ran through the possibilities in my mind: another man was out, her family knew that she resided here so wouldn't worry unnecessarily, was she more ill then she let on? I was concerned, she had become my wife in every sense of the word. She shared my bed and my life. She was my weakness. She was my hunger. She permeated every aspect of my being. She was my obsession. I could not imagine life without her.

She hugged me to her, as if to reassure me that she as well as she lied "It is nothing, stop worrying so much. I am going to go visit the outhouse and freshen up, then I will meet you at breakfast" she said. I nodded not sure what else to do; if she was anyone else I would have tortured the answer out of her.

******

I walked down the hall and then Kagura stopped me. "We must speak Miko, come to my rooms with me now." Curious, I followed her.

She slid the door closed and said without preamble "I know your secret"

"I don't have any secrets" I replied.

"You carry Naraku's child. He maybe blind but I am not"

"So what of it? I shall tell him and he will either like it or not" I said.

"Naraku hates being weak first and being human second. You think that he will thank you for giving him something that is both?" she said in a silky tone of voice.

"He would never hurt our child" I said glaring at her.

"No?" she said in an amused tone of voice "He has slaughtered whole villages full of babies and pregnant woman for a single shard in the past"

"He is not like that anymore" I said narrowing my eyes at her.

"You are a silly little girl. You think because you offer your love to him that he is suddenly going to give up his goal and become a man of peace. Naraku cannot love, he is not even a full hanyou, and he is a collection of demons that an already corrupted soul made a deal with in order to gain a new body"

"He loves me!"

"Has he told you that? Pour soul, you really don't see what is going on do you? Onigumo lusted for Kikyo and that was never satisfied. You are her reincarnation and the part that remains human in Naraku, Onigumo naturally is going to be drawn to you, but once he has satisfied his hunger for you then you will just be a liability and he will kill you. Nothing that you can do will prevent this, not your stupid little pet names for each other and not the silly matching rings that you wear." She said staring at the gold band I wore; he wore the other one.

"When he looks at me, he sees me, Kagome, not Kikyo. He doesn't lust her, he loves me" I said staring at her.

"Take my warning Miko he has killed many people and he will kill many more. If I were you I would run now and save your own life and the life inside you before you become one of them. He will kill you; you are his weakness. He cannot have a weakness which makes him vulnerable to his enemies, you and your child" she said looking at my belly, which I covered. "Do you ever wonder why the form that the demons chose to bestow on him is so angelic in appearance, except for his eyes? It is that they thought it would be humourous for one so beautiful be so evil?. Was it meant as a paradox?" She got close to me. "Don't be deceived by his appearance, what lingers inside him is so ugly and twisted that you would die of fright if you ever to came face to face with it. She showed me to the door "Think on that I have said and decide the future for your child, because this path that you are on with Naraku will only lead to a lonely grave for two with your own body as the second coffin."

I left with a heavy heart that caused me to question what I was doing. Sure I knew that Naraku was still Naraku, but he seemed so different. He had never said he loved me, but he showed me in so many ways that he cared. Could I leave just him and return to the future? Could I even live without him? Then with a heavy heart I made my decision.

"Naraku?" I said finding him gazing out the window, he smiled at the interruption.

"Come join me" he said patting the cushions beside him.

I sat down unable to look at him. "Naraku, I need to go to the future for a few days, I miss my family and can buy pills that will help with my stomach flu" I lied. He looked saddened that I was leaving "I won't be long; just a few days" I said forcing a smile when my heart was breaking.

He nodded "We will depart immediately, I will take you to the well personally"

"Thank you honey" I said hugging him for perhaps the last time.

I stood in front of the well drinking him in like how a person about to be executed does a bright sunny day. I thought about the note that I had given Kagura to give him, how I had gotten it damp with my tears, I hoped that he would understand and forgive me one day. Our love was never meant to be, I see that now. When light and dark meet they cancel each other out until there was nothing left. I had to protect our child, so I left. Before I did, I flung my arms around him to hold the man I loved one more time. "Naraku, I love you" I said aloud for the first and last time.

******

I felt such joy that she said this, I wanted to tell her that I loved her too, but something held me back. "I will see you when you get back" I whispered against the warm skin of her neck and watched as she stepped into the well and the blue light flashed.

I returned home and Kagura met me in the hall way, she handed me a note; "Kagome asked me to give this to you" she said and walked away.

I took it to our room and unfolded it.

It read:

Dear Naraku,

I don't know how to tell you this but I am engaged to someone from my own time. I am returning there to marry him and won't be coming back.

Yours,

Kagome

I could feel the tears start at her betrayal and flung myself on our bed sobbing for myself for being such a fool to believe that someone like her could ever love someone like me. 'I will kill you Miko' I vowed, 'you have made a foe of your lover'

******

I stood outside of Naraku's room listening to his sobs and reading the note that I switched for mine. In hers she explains that she is pregnant and she loves him, but thinks that the baby would be better off being raised in the future. I smiled at the sound of his anguished sobs. I refuse to let him be happy while I am trapped with him as he hold my heart captive and me with it. The only pleasure I get in life is his suffering and suffer he must.

9 Months Later

"Just two shards to go before it is complete" I thought. I approached Kanna "show me Kagome" I ordered her. She held out her mirror and it showed Kagome holding a small baby in her arms as she nursed it. I felt a sliver of desire at the sight of her naked breasts, but I quashed it as if it had never been. 'So, it all came to pass, she married her intended from the future and she had his baby' I thought.

"I'll see you soon my love" I said with a smirk feeling more like myself then I had in over a year.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you all for reading and for the kind reviews that I have received. I really enjoyed writing this story. I believe I shall end it here, unless I feel inspired to add to it.

Sorry Naraku, that I made you a little sappy once in a while in it, suck it up Princess. You hot, hot thing you. Obsidian

******

I climbed out of the well and let myself into the house with a heavy heart. "Hi Mom, I'm home" I called and then was enveloped in an enthusiastic hug from her. At the feeling of soft arms holding, I broke down for the first time.

"Kagome, what is the matter dear?" she asked after my tears were done. She poured me a cup of tea and sat me down at the table, waiting for me to tell her what was bothering me. I told her everything about Naraku and I, leaving out only the details that might shock her.

She summarized it "so he killed your friends, married you when you were half dead and slept with you under false pretenses? Yet you love him? I thought that you told me he was your enemy,"

I nodded "when I got to know him, I realized that he wasn't as bad as he appeared at first and then I fell in love with him. I guess that you must think that I am pretty stupid," I said feeling the tears start again.

"No" she said, I looked up at her with startled eyes. "Kagome, you are not a stupid woman who gives her heart lightly and foolishly. If you love Naraku then there must be something in him that is worth loving or you wouldn't. Your purity would not allow you to be deceived for long"

"There is more," I said with hesitation.

"What is it?" she asked patiently.

"I am pregnant; I carry Naraku's baby" I said waiting for her to reprimand me or order me out of the house.

Instead I was surprised when she put her hand on mine "did you tell him?" she asked softly.

"No, I ran away after I telling him that I would be coming back. His second in command told me that he will kill our child and I can't risk that she might be right"

"Kagome, no matter what he has done in the past, a man has a right to now about his own baby and have a say in any decisions concerning its future."

"But I doubt we would have a future. How long before his enemies catch up with him and kill him? Then we would perish along with him; there is no way that they would allow his heir to live. The only chance this baby has in here and now, not in feudal Japan," I said defensively.

"Kagome, you and my grandchild will always have a home here, but I am disappointed in how you are handling this. I think that you will regret your cowardice one day. If you love him as you say you do, you should go back to feudal Japan and tell him the real reason why you left. If he rejects you, then you and your child could return. It will hurt but at least your conscious would be clear and he would know the reason for your fear."

"I left him a note" I said my tears running down my cheeks.

"That was a fool's way out; you left him no choice in the matter"

"You don't understand; we have no future together there," I sobbed.

She handed me a tissue and said "you are my daughter and I will support you in any decision that you make. But keep in mind, no one future is certain no matter where you live"

I was a zombie throughout my pregnancy and only our child kept me from wanting to die. When the ultrasound revealed that the child was female I whispered, "we are having a girl Naraku" to the phantom that seemed to haunt me. Every day I thought about him and missed him. Every night I dreamed about making love with him, only to wake alone and reaching out to his side of the bed. I went through all the discomfort and pain associated with pregnancy and childbirth with my mother by my side in place of my husband and kept wondering how he would have aided me. So many times I stood before the well with my swollen belly wanting nothing more to descend into its depths and seek him, but fear kept me in the 21st century. When Midori was born she was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, the doctor recoiled in surprise when she opened her crimson eyes for the first time, but in my own eyes it only made her look more beautiful. I thanked Kami and Naraku for my precious gift as she was placed into my arms. We have a daughter; light mated with dark and she is the result.

******

I waited a week, hoping that she would change her mind and return to me. I had barely eaten, bathed or slept in that time. I have become a caricature of myself, a figure of fun. Gone was my normally well kempt appearance and in its place was a creature with messy, tangled hair that reeked of neglect who simply wore the same wrinkled clothes left in a heap from the night before. My eyes swollen from crying and dark circled from lack of sleep, I could no longer sleep in my bed because her scent remained, yet the same reason kept me from moving to another bed. I ate only when food was placed in front of me and even then only half the amount as I lacked appetite. I don't want to visit the bathhouse, it reminds me too much of all the happy times that I spent in there with her playing and teasing which would lead to our making love. Yes, I will admit it now, we haven't been just copulating for a long time; we have been making love. She is the woman I love; she was the woman I loved.

I miss so many things, the way that she seemed to enjoy combing my hair until it lay like a silken curtain down my back. The way that she nagged me about eating properly. The way that she seemed to just be content in my company, even the way she teased me unmercifully about my taste in clothing by handing me a particularly dainty fan or parasol and saying that it completed my outfit of that day. She gave me unconditional tenderness, devotion and caring without asking for anything in return. She brought me the only peace I have ever known. With her I learned that I wasn't an emotionless monster, that I was capable of being a friend, a lover and husband to her. Yet she didn't want me in the end. Perhaps it was just that the priestess in her sensed my loneliness and tried to be charitable to me by offering something that never was mine to claim. She said she loved me. "Kagome; why did you lie?" I whispered biting my lip against the tears that threatened to fall again.

******

There was a knock at the door and I went to answer it. Standing on the doormat was a tall, pale young man with long wavy black hair. I couldn't see his eyes because he wore sunglasses. He smiled politely "Mrs. Higurashi?" he asked.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Is your daughter, Kagome home by any chance?" he inquired.

"I am sorry but she had to take her daughter to a doctor's appointment. Can I tell her who stopped by?" I asked.

At the mention of her daughter his looked annoyed, then resumed his polite expression. He handed me a card and said "please tell her that she can call me at this number if she wishes to get back in contact with me. We are old friends," he said.

I read his card:

Crimson Designs

Naraku Akuma

President

He turned to go "Naraku? "I breathed. Wait you're......." I called after him, and then realized that I couldn't betray Kagome by telling him about Midori until she was ready to.

He turned and asked "I'm what?"

"I've heard of you" I finished faintly.

"Hopefully not all bad" he said with a tight smile.

"No definitely not. I will have her call you," I said looking at my son-in-law for the first time in my life.

******

Midori is now two months old and I had returned from a doctor's office, relieved to hear that she seemed to be developing normally. Between my Miko purity and Naraku's collection of demons I had to wonder about Midori. She seemed to be a regular human child despite it all.

I put her down for a nap and went to talk to my mother. She handed me a card that changed my life.

"Nakaru's alive, but how? What did he look like? I demanded. My mother described him to a t. "What should I do Mom?" I asked her.

"It looks like the gods are giving you a second chance to make things right between the two of you. Don't waste it," she suggested.

I went to my room and looked at his card again. His choice of Akuma or demon as a last name was so his sense of humour. I picked up the phone and then set it down wondering what this phone call would set in motion. I wondered what he had been doing and how a hanyou could still be alive after 500 years. That life span is only to be expected of a youkai. With trembling fingers I dialed the number and almost dropped the phone when his familiar silky voice answered. "Kagome?" he said without preamble.

"Naraku?" I said in a hesitant voice.

"Good to hear from you, wife. Might I see you this evening? He requested "We have much to discuss and call me old fashioned, but I prefer not to do so on the phone" I shivered at the sound of his voice.

I knew that this encounter was inevitable, so I said as bravely as possible "Okay when and where?"

"I will have a car pick you up this evening and bring you to my house. If your family can spare you for the evening" he ended distastefully.

"That will be acceptable," I said bravely.

"Good, it will be nice getting caught up" he said and hung up.

The limousine turned into our driveway at precisely 6pm. I got my coat on and went to say goodbye to my mother. She held Midori in her arms.

"Shouldn't you bring Midori? He will want to meet her," she said.

"I am not going to bring her along until I know what he wants. I won't endanger her life if it is some kind of revenge thing" I replied and kissed my daughter goodbye. As the limousine drove me to the undisclosed location, I felt happy and sad at the same time. Part of me couldn't wait to see him and the other part wanted to turn and run.

We pulled up in front of a dark mansion and I was escorted by an actual butler in a modern version of Naraku's dark silken bedroom. At the window was a familiar figure that stared out of it. I drank in the form that I could have sketched it from memory; taking in the abundant black raven locks of his hair, his slender but powerful form and long legs. I had been right about his looking good in black fitted jeans; with this he wore a red silk shirt that completely matched his eyes. As he turned to me I also noted that he wore a black wife beater underneath the open shirt. There was no sign of his wedding ring. He hadn't aged a day since last I saw him. I could read weariness and loneliness in his eyes, bespeaking of too many years spent alone and betrayal by someone; me.

"Kagome" he said in a wistful voice before pulling himself together. "Nice to see you again. Should I ring for sake?"

I shook my head "I can't, I am breast feeding. Tea would be fine," I said hesitantly. I suddenly sensed the presence of a youkai with my youki. "Naraku, you became a youkai!"

He smirked, "I found the shards without your help and made my wish, it was granted"

"Then what happened?" I asked intrigued.

"I stopped my murderous ways and took to travelling so that my enemies wouldn't come after me. I amassed a great fortune on the way through careful investment and 'finding' antiques. Eventually I started company that designs silk kimonos and now we the largest distributor of those," he said with a slight smiled.

"So no more evil Lord Naraku?" I asked sitting closer to him.

"Only as far as my competition is concerned," he replied with the same ghost of a smile.

"So what type of demon are you?" I asked him.

"Apparently the Shikon no Tama had a sense of humour; I am a spider demon" he said with an ironic smile.

"You don't mean to say that your marks are?" I asked I said indicating his back.

"Right in the middle of my back where the scar used to be when I was a hanyou. The only difference is that it is blue now and no longer a scar" he said with a laugh. We both shared a companionable laugh and then looked at each other almost shyly. This entire time I had been struggling not to throw my arms around him and beg him to take me back.

"Kagome, I want you to know that I thought about killing you many times, but I just don't have it in me anymore believe it or not" he said ironically.

"That I am very glad to hear" I said with some relief.

"Kagome why did you leave me?" he said in a soft voice. I turned to look at him then averted my gaze to see the naked pain so apparent in the eyes of so proud a man.

"Didn't you get my note? I gave it to Karuga to give you" I asked him wondering where he was going with this.

"I got your note, but I don't understand why you left me for him"

"For who? I asked confused.

"Your husband from the present, your baby's father" he replied.

Then I realized what Kagura must have done. "That fucking bitch! Where is she? I will kill her!"

Naraku flinched back with surprise at my language "my minions vanished when I became a youkai" he explained.

"Naraku, I only have one husband and he is my daughter's father," I told him in an even tone of voice.

"I know, I read your note," he said in a regretful tone of voice.

"There is someone you need to meet," I said holding out my hand to him.

He looked at it "I don't want to meet him" he said.

"You are meeting my daughter" I replied. I called my mother to tell her that we were coming. She said would stay at a friend's place for the evening so that we wouldn't be disturbed. "Do you have a car?" I asked him. Naturally he had a candy apple red corvette and we got there in no time.

My mother let us in and left with a sly grin on her face. I wasted no time and took him into Midori's nursery.

"Why did you bring me here? There nothing to be gained from this experience but painful memories for me" he admitted.

I picked up my sleeping daughter and held her before him. I gently tickled her nose until she opened her eyes. "Naraku, I would like you to meet your daughter Midori. You should have known about her a long time ago but I was stupid enough to listen to Kagura rather then my heart"

At the sight of her eyes, so much like his own, he staggered as if I had dealt him a physical blow.

"But how, but when?" he stammered very much in shock.

I raised my eyebrows at him "I am sure you already know how. Or is it necessary for me to explain how babies are made? As for the when; that would be the night that we made love after you saved me from the snake demon"

"Why didn't you tell me?" he hissed at me.

I put Midori back into her crib and then took his hand and led him into my bedroom.

"Kagura said that you would view her as a liability and kill her" I explained.

"You believed her?" he said in a hurt tone of voice. He was trembling as if still in shock, I touched his arm. He pulled himself away from me "All this time I thought that you left me to marry someone else and now I find out it is because you thought I would try and kill a baby!"

"Naraku I loved you but I was afraid for her because she was your child too, you made lots of enemies and they might have tried to take it out on her." I explained to his back as he had turned away from me.

"Loved me? Then you don't love me any more," he said sadly. I answered him by putting my arms around him and placing my face against his shoulder blade. He tensed.

"I never stopped loving you, I missed you every day. You don't know how I longed to hold you just like this," I whispered into the silken fall of his hair. Then I realized that he was silently sobbing. I gently sat his down on the bed and held him while whispering how much I loved him.

"I love you too," he whispered in a voice so low that I barely heard him. We spoke of the past and of the future and then we made gentle love, saying with our bodies what our words couldn't convey so well. It was wonderful and healing at the same time. As we lay in each other's arms, as if we had never been parted, he looked at me and said, "stay with me"

"Yes, after I go back to the past and explain to you in person why I left. I can't leave you hurting like you were." I explained.

"What if you change the future outcome and I never become as I am today. Also would you really expose Midori to feudal Japan? You might right about it being too risky for her there" he said in a worried tone proving just how much he had changed.

I brushed him hair aside to reveal his back and traced the outline of the blue spider there. "I owe it to you and I owe it to us to set things right" I explained, "Does this mean that Onigumo is finally dead and that you only are one demon now rather then the collective?"

"Yes, it is just me. Which is kind of refreshing; it used to get a little busy" he said with a trace of humour. "So when are you going to be back?" he asked.

"A few days" I replied.

He looked suspiciously at me "the last time you said that I had to wait five hundred years"

"No seriously, a week tops then if you want me, I am yours," I replied.

"Are you going to sleep with the me from back then?" he asked.

"He is still you," I said with a laugh. "Don't tell me that you could get jealous of yourself!"

"I don't know, there is something about that guy that I just don't trust," he said and I attacked his with a pillow.

We stood in front of the well at dawn "are you sure that this is a good idea?" he asked, he was holding Midori in his arms. "I will never get over her," he said smiling down at her.

"You won't have to, she is yours for life, just as I am" I replied and kissed him goodbye, meaning it this time when I told him I would be back.

I arrived in Kaede's village and sought out her hut. She looked surprised to see me with a baby.

"Kagome, ye are unhurt! And who's baby is this?" asked the aged priestess peering at Midori. She started back when she saw her red eyes. "Naraku's! Kagome what have you done?"

"I made a mistake that turned out well in the end" I replied feeling no remorse.

"But he is your enemy! He killed many innocent souls and even your friends. If you have tainted yourself with him you can no longer be a priestess!"

"I have been thinking of that and I realized that no one ever asked me if I wanted to be one the first place. You all just assumed that because I was the reincarnation of Kikyo that I would be with Inuyasha and take over as priestess for this village when you die. Inuyasha was never mine; he loved Kikyo. As for living here in the past; I don't want to anymore." I said calmly.

"Ye choose that evil Lord to light?" she asked.

"No I choose the Naraku of the future of how he will become and I will help the one here and now achieve that" I replied.

"That creature doesn't deserve your help," she said.

"All creatures deserve help; you once told me that. He is my husband and the father of my child, so I intend to help him however I can" I replied standing up.

"Ye have changed much Kagome"

"I have grown up" I replied, "I won't be around so much, you have been a dear friend and for that I thank you. Don't worry about Naraku anymore, I will handle him"

I took a few days to get there, but I reached his castle in what seemed like no time. I didn't even bother knocking on the door, I just pushed it open and went to his brooding window as I call it. Sure enough he was there.

"Kagome?" he said surprised.

I replied by simply saying, "Come meet your daughter" He had a similar reaction to his future self.

"Who?" he asked. "Woman you make so sense, you claimed that you would only be gone a few days and now you say have that we have a daughter?"

"Oh and red eyes are common?" I said sarcastically. "You certainly cannot deny that she is yours" I thrust her in to his arms, and his own eyes got wide at the sight of hers.

******

All I could to was stare helplessly into the tiny baby's face as she smiled up at me and weaved her tiny fist into my hair, giving it a swift yank. "This is the reason why you were sick every morning?" I asked as I gently removed her fingers from my locks. I was fascinated by her. I hadn't even thought that I would be capable of fathering a child in this body; the demons intended it for destruction, not to create life.

"Come, let's go into your room" Kagome suggested. She put Midori on the futon of the bedroom next to mine and then joined me. She wasted no time and began kissing me, knowing what she wanted, I quickly helped undress her and in no time was just inside her, I slid into her almost agonizingly slow and just held myself still inside her, until she begged me to pleasure her and pleasure her I did. I made her look at me as I took her, watching with greedy eyes every time I brought her to the peak. She looks like and angel when she comes, her expression almost that of surprised and so innocent looking. I held her in my arms afterwards, feeling more contented then I had in months. She suddenly said. "You know that I haven't slept with anyone else right?"

I stroked her back and said, "I know you Miko, you can only sleep with someone you love. You loved me when you slept with me after the demon attack" I stated. "I know that now"

"Yes, but you should know that I am not a priestess anymore" she replied.

"Why not?"

"I don't want that, I want you" she said and told me of what my future would bring.

"A kimono merchant? That sounds kind of strange" I said with amusement.

"Are you going to punish Kagura?" she asked.

I smiled at that "I would but she is already dead." Kagura had taunted me by saying that Kagome left me because I failed to satisfy her. Something inside me had snapped, I ripped her clothing from her and did what she feared most; I took her virginity. I made her my whore for a week refusing to allow her to wear anything so that I might fuck her when I wished. I fucked her many times and each time I made sure that someone was present to watch her humiliation. To humiliate her further I would play with her erroneous zones endlessly while I raped her, wringing orgasm after orgasm from her unwilling body and I would taunt her after each one. Then I would make her watch each rape replayed in Kanna's mirror so that she might see herself come for me. On the seventh day I crushed her heart in front of her and reabsorbed her dead body into my own. "I think she was punished enough" I said with a smile.

Kagome shuddered "I don't want to know do I"

"No you don't"

******

I stayed with Naraku until we found the final shards, there was no bloodshed involved, I just asked the villagers for them and then turned them over to Naraku. Once the Shikon no Tama was complete he surprised me by wishing for both of us to become youkai.

"But why?" I asked after the transformation.

"It wouldn't do for you to have only sixty or so more years while I have thousands more myself" he replied.

A couple days later, we stood on the dock as he prepared to board his boat. "You could come with me," he suggested "That way we could face the future together."

"I would love to honey, but Midori deserves to be in the future where she can get a proper education and have lots of prospects. I know that asking you to wait five hundred years for me is unreasonable, but in the end we will be together." I promised him.

"You don't expect me to faithful in all that time, do you?" he asked.

"Lets consider you single until we are reunited. Just take your wedding ring off when you have sex with other people" I requested hating the idea of him having sex with other women, but I had to be fair. I kissed him goodbye for a final time and got teary eyed when he kissed Midori on her soft cheek. Tears ran down my cheeks as he sailed away, I waved after him until I could no longer see him.

When I got back to the future I found Naraku visiting my mother. He seemed happy to see me and nothing had changed about him. The only things missing were the suspicion and crushing loneliness in his eyes that was so apparent when we were first reunited. He even asked me how lesser-Naraku was.

Yes, within a week we moved in with Naraku, he and I officially shared mating marks and became married on demon terms, then got re-wed in the court house at my request; I wanted to be conscious this time.

To say he is a natural father is stretching the truth, he used to hold Midori like she was a football and would panic when she cried. He still remains a work in progress but I have infinite patience and lots of experience with stubborn men.

5 Years Later

We live in an upper class neighbourhood of Tokyo; I am checking on my daughter as she sleeps, she is five years old with dark hair and pale skin. I look down on her angelic face as she clutches her ragged old stuffed rabbit in her sleep. She is a typical little girl, loves Barbie dolls and wants to be either a princess of ballerina when she grows up. I softly brush her hair from her face, she opens her eyes and smiles sleepily at me, she had her father's eyes; they are crimson in colour. I tuck the blankets around her and she goes back to sleep. My husband comes into the room and smiles tenderly down on our daughter as if she is a precious gift. He gestures that we leave the room and we softly pad out.

We check on our other daughter, Aiko, she is two-year-old youkai who has yet to grow her marks.

We returned to the living room and he lit a fire and poured himself a sake. The soft light danced and reflected on his glossy hair and highlighted his crimson eyes. He pulled me on to his lap and touched my slightly swollen belly. "Do you think you can give me a son this time?" he asked in the silky voice that used to strike terror into my heart in the past; now it comforts me.

I looked into his angelic face, seeking the monster that used to dwell within and see only my beloved. "Who knows what the future will bring?" I said honestly.

Yes light married dark and somehow perfect harmony was created.

The End


End file.
